Keyboard for musical instruments



Jan. 13, 1931 E. MOOR 1,788,775

KEYBOARD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Jan. 29, 1930 Patented Jan. 13,1931 UNITED STATES,

EMANUEL MOOR, or MONT PELERIN: SUR-VEVEY, S IT ERLAND KEYBOARD FORMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Application filed January 29, 1930, Serial No.424,419,-and in-Germany Marchfl, 1928.

This invention has reference to that kind of key boards for musicalinstruments in which rows of keys are arranged one behind or to the rearof each other, instead of being disposed in one single row. Such anarrangement has been suggested heretofore mainly for the purpose offacilitating the playing of octaves or of other multiple accordsnecessitating the manipulation of sevoral, comparatively widely spacedkeys which it is difficult to strike and to uniformly actuate by personshaving small or untrained hands or short finger-links. It

has already been proposed to improve the construction of the key boardsreferred. to by somewhat inclining the front 'row, so as to shorten thedistance between the key twisting and stretching of the hands orfinger-sis required in the case of small or short hands or finger links.An increase of the striking force of the fingers uponthe keys in theoperation .of the duplicate keyboards referred to can only'be obtainedbychanging the angle of incidenceof the strikf ing force of the fingerswith relation to the keys. However, this object cannot be accomplishedby an increaseofthe inclination of one rowof keys only, inasmuch as bythis means the effort of lowering the fingers and striking the keysisincreased and the rapid inspection of the keyboard is greatly interferedwith; v 7

Now, in accordance with my invention the accessibility and theconvenience and facility of operation of the keys,'as-well as theuniformity of stroke of the fingers, particularly in the case of-1nultichord sounds is to'form a kind of dihedral -.angle,so as toarrange the rear keys at an inclinetowards emplification on theaccompanying drawing the horizontal in a descending vplane, while thefront keys are arranged at an ascending angle with relation to theplayer.

My invention is illustrated by way of exin longitudinal section inconnection with a double piano key board of the kind referred to. Thekey board confronting the player is formed by the whitekeys h and theblack keys 2' the striking surfaces of these keys being inclined withrelation to the horizontal and ascending towards the player. The rear 1key-board. comprises the rows k and land has striking surfaces whichdescend in, the direction of the player. By means .of this arrangementthe most favorable and hygienically most unobjectionable position isobtained as regards the playing hand and the erect position of the bodyof the operator 'as regards the simultaneous playing on both key boardsand for the purpose of a rapid, suddenly changing, jumping alternateoperation of the key boards. The manipulation may he further facilitatedby providing height increasing blocks 6 or enlargements upon the frontwhite keys between the corresponding black keys for the purpose ofprovidinga uniform substantially unbroken plane for the rear operatingsurface of the front keys.

The manner of journaling the keys has. not been shown, as itisimmaterial for this invention and forms no part thereof. The

keys may be supported in the usual manner 7 by supporting bars and guidepins.

The inclined position described of the striking surfaces may be obtainedby the .in-

clined arrangement of the entire'key or of part thereof, particularly ofthe front portion, or even by a corresponding configuration of thestriking surface alone. 'I also wish it to be understood that myinvention is not restricted to the particular embodimenthereinshownmerely byway of illustration of its principles, and thatmodifications are possible within the ambit ofthe V V appended claims.highly improved by. causing the key boards '1. Multichord musical keyboard compristhe other, and inclined towards each other so as toconstitute the sides of a dihedral angle.

2. Multichord musical key board, comprising front rows of keys inclinedtowards the horizontal and ascending towards the player and rear rows ofkeys inclined towards the horizontal and descending towards the player.

EMANUEL MOOR.

